The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-09-17
MORE POOLS.

MORE POOLS.
There is no more characteristic tendency
in American industrial affairs than the
pooling of interests for the purpose Of
maintaining prices or controlling markets
How far this is the result of protective
system We do n 4 mean 10 say. Il IS GER
tain that that system makes such C0mj'na-
lions possible where they would not be
without il.
At any rate, Il IS species of unfairness
to the public, to call ii by no harder name,
that threatens to become an uubearable
burden; and may yet be the cGuscog l2g!e-
laiion, as the pooling system Of railroads
caused the passage Of the commerce bill.
The modern pool is not a pool, 1t is a
trust" A rose by any other name would
smell as. sweet; and i is certain that when
"p0ol" is called trust, the men who paid
the eXtCtiOns of the "poOl" find difficulty
today in defining the difference in effect
because the eXtortiou is now made under
the name Of a crust"
But we meant simply to call attention TO
the fact that these trusts, or combinations
of manufacturers, are rapidly increasing.
The window glass "trust" has been in ope-
ration for "A year or so, and has been sue
cess, for prices have been higher and
steadier; we all have paid our share of the
coal trust" robbery; the whisky trust"
has been organized and is now in working
order, though probably the drinker of the
stuff finds little difference, since If whisky
goes up In price, whether through the
squeezing of trust or because the license
is increased, the price of water remains the
same and IL is just as easy to pour two gal
Ions into barrel as one. The strawboard
trust" affects certain lines of maaufac-
tories more than the public direct; and
that squeeze, also, is hardly appreciated by
the people.
On the other hand, when the price of
corn. planters, &C., is controlled by a trust"
the pinch is felt, or will be later when the
trust" is in operation, as a result of a meet
ing at Peoria Aug. 2jth and Goth. Eighteen
manufacturers of cCrn.planterS and check
rowers of the west then perfected the Or
ganization of "The Corn Planter and
Check. Rover Manufacturers Protective
Association" the object Of which is the
maintenance of uniform prices, terms and
discounts to the trade. The constitution
and bylaws were agreed upon and all rep
resentatiyes present signed an agreement
to abide by the rulings and decisions of the
association under strict obligations, not,
however, To the extent of giving bonds.
The signatures of the other nine manufac
turers belonging to the association are
pledged. A scale of minimum prices was
agreed upon.
A trust" composed of the stove manu-.
facturers of the | nited States is also pro
posed. The total invested capital in stove
foundry plants is estimated at Slj,000,0O0.
The total annual product is, in round mum
bers, $3O,0OO,0O0. The trust" it is claim.
ed, would effect saving of fully S3,000,000
on the aggregate yearly rates; that is, with
the trust" it is held that goods could be
sold at prime cost of last year and divi-
dend of 20 per cent be paid on the capital
Invested from the savings alone. That is
one way of putting It, But we all know
that human nature Is not Of the sort that
stops at "a saving" with the market under
its thumb, as is meant 20 ne the case when
trust" is organized.
Then follows the "Napor Stove Consoli.
dation," the FIRST steps toward which were
taken last week at Cleveland. 1t is expect.
ed to include every manufacturer in the [,
! s., who made, from Oct 1886 to July 1887,
| 100000 stoves, valued al $300000 Ex-
isting plants are valued at $2j0,0o0, anG
stock on hand al 100000. The managing
committee, 1t is said, did not Fix the amount
of the capital stock Of the proposed consoli
dated company, but it is reported that 20
per cent Is to be represented by machinery,
tools, patterns and patent rights; 20 per cent
by stocks on hand; and that go per cent
should be given as an odsct for good will''
on the basis Of last years business. 1t is
also proposed to locate the factories of the
consolidated companies in Cleveland the
works In other cities to be utilized SIS ware.
houses and distributing stations.